- Updates from the Islands -

- - St.Kitts - -

- - - 2011 Hurricane Season - - -

- A break

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Tue, 8 May 2012 10:35:22 +0000

So after 3 days of constant drizzle +1 overcast day, some very crabby people who want a holiday weekend do-over. At the moment, the sun is out with some clouds. The radar still shows rain south of us (Dominica's getting doused), but I'm guessing that if moisture continues to move north, we'll be seeing some action later. As a matter of fact, the forecast is for some sun this morning, but increasing clouds and showers. Guess we'll have to enjoy the sun while we have it. I definitely need a serotonin fix. Renee (www.islandbabble.blogspot.com)

- They were right

By Renee P <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sun, 6 May 2012 10:55:15 +0000

Ok, the weather forecasters got it right this time. The clouds moved in yesterday afternoon, but the rain didn't start until 7pm. It's been raining and will continue to rain today and apparently into tomorrow. . There had been a flash flood notice but it expired at 3am. Considering what the radar looks like, they might want to reconsider. We've got visitors later in the week, so I hope this system passes over by then. We might just have to go to a movie today. Stay dry out there! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Jinx!

By Renee P <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sat, 5 May 2012 14:07:00 +0000

Ha! I think I spoke too soon. It's starting to cloud up out there and there's stuff creeping up from the south. Oh well. Hopefully it'll be a quickie. If not, back in bed with a good book! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Air....

By Renee P <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sat, 5 May 2012 12:44:50 +0000

It is hot...Sultry even. Today the sea and ocean look exactly the same. Like glass. Windguru is not giving me hope for any real changes in the future. Summer is upon us. Crownweather, among other sources had predicted all kinds of gloom and doom for the weekend, but the radar is clear and the sun is out, so who knows. They were all wrong a couple of weeks ago too. I hope they do a better job with predictions once tropical disturbances start swirling around. Happy Cinco de Mayo to those that celebrate it and happy long Labour Day weekend to those in St. Kitts getting ready to enjoy a 3-day weekend. Oh yeah, and don't forget the Super Moon expected to loom large when it hits the horizon at about 8pm (EST). Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

A Sail of Two Idiots

For Excerpts and Details Click Here

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- 1st Thunderstorm

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Thu, 3 May 2012 21:12:09 +0000

I was wondering if we'd get rain ahead of the windless days coming and the answer is not only yes, but a kaboom yes. Just in time for people to get off work and start some TGIT, it's pouring with some thunder and lightning. I'm just going to enjoy the last of the nice temps. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

Don't miss my new book:

A Sail of Two Idiots

For Excerpts and Details Click Here

- Rainy Mornings

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Tue, 1 May 2012 11:37:20 +0000

We're in the rainy morning pattern again. The radar does look a bit messy, so it might continue a little longer than usual, but there should be some sun in there. The last few days have been really windy. There was some serious exfoliation going on down on the beaches - both on the sea and ocean sides. I held off making any entries because every time I do, the conditions switch. Sure enough, winds are predicted to dwindle to nothing by the end of the week. That means it's going to get hot. I also see that the ocean temps have come up a degree - we're at 81 now. Just a couple more....Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Getting Hot

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:51:53 +0000

There was sporadic rain throughout Saturday, but we weren't complaining as once that front passed through it got hot. Really, steamy hot. We were hiking through the rainforest Saturday afternoon and were happy for the tree and cloud cover. Nice rainbow too (attached). Sunday turned into a nice day, although you'll note a layer of black haze across the sky. The MVO report website isn't working, so I'm not sure we can blame Montserrat's volcano or not. Time to wear your lightest clothing 'cause summer is here. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

Don't miss my new book:

A Sail of Two Idiots

For Excerpts and Details Click Here

Out now Amazon and elsewhere

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- So?

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sat, 21 Apr 2012 11:46:47 +0000

We had a couple of showers last night, but nothing major. Skies are mostly sunny so far this morning with a few showers in-between creating rainbows. There are tiny bands of showers on the radar here and there so we'll get a couple more of these quickie downpours, but that's rather normal for us this year. It looks like St. Vincent & The Grenadines (who were given a flooding warning) are getting some action though. All those forecasts that showed t-storms for us are sticking by their guns and have also indicated the same for tomorrow (Sunday). Maybe, but I'm unconvinced. I like Accuweather's "a couple of showers." It seems to me it's going to be a typical day. Which means we might get wet on the hike today, but rain or shine, we'll be there. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Rain is acoming

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2012 12:04:48 +0000

It seems the other side of the front is here. Most of the rain is south of us, but we've got some drips and drabs this morning and all my weather sources (even NOAA) are suggesting thunderstorms are on the horizon (tonight). Our first of the season. Tomorrow might be ugly as the rain heads our way, which stinks as it's a hash Saturday. Enjoy those pockets of sun today and be ready for some hot tea tonight! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

Don't miss my new book:

A Sail of Two Idiots

For Excerpts and Details Click Here

- Perfection

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:05:59 +0000

The weather has been absolutely heavenly. The cold front that swept over us, giving us a wet and chilly day on Sunday, has stalled and is now providing the perfect temperatures. The cool breeze is just right, the days are mostly sunny with a few clouds to break up the monotony, and evenings are perfect for sleeping. The weather forecast calls for this low pressure system to stay put through Saturday so enjoy it while it lasts! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

Don't miss my new book:

A Sail of Two Idiots

For Excerpts and Details Click Here

Out now on Amazon.

- Rain

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sun, 15 Apr 2012 10:54:06 +0000

I jinxed us. Ever since I wrote that things were drying up, we've had nightly downpours. This morning is not pretty. We needed the rain, particularly after several brush fires, so no complaints, but this will be putting a damper on our hiking and beach plans. We have a messy radar, although it looks like rain will be on and off. The weather report confirms it. A flu-type bug is going around the island and Michael seems to have been bit by it, so something tells me we weren't going anywhere anyway. I just might go back to bed. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

Don't miss my new book:

A Sail of Two Idiots

For Excerpts and Details Click Here

Out now on Amazon.

- Zzzzz

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2012 10:14:42 +0000

The haze passed after about 2 days after the last post and it's been pretty clear ever since. All those rain showers that we've had all winter have become a thing of the past and things are starting to brown. Considering summer is on the way, I'm guessing rain will be back before we know it to green things back up, but we're rather enjoying the dry skies at the moment. Last weekend, our favorite ocean-side beach was clean and much less seaweed was waiting offshore, but it remains to be seen if we're done with this kelp invasion. Let's hope so! If you're coming to vacation soon you'll enjoy the best St. Kitts & Nevis has to offer weather-wise. Come visit!

A Sail of Two Idiots is out!

For Excerpts and Details Click Here

It's not just for sailors - any dreamer will do

- Clearing

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2012 11:26:06 +0000

I think it's safe to say that the morning blahs have passed and we've had the clearest skies we've had in months. That said, we're getting spectacular sunsets (thanks for pic Steve Delay!). We've also got air that smells like fire and burning eyes, so something's in the air (the Monsterrat Volcano Observatory isn't reporting any major activity there, although it has arisen from a 2-year snooze). Humidity is up a bit during the day and mosquitoes are making a comeback, but evenings are still pleasant. Sea temps are coming up (up to 80F - yay) but that infernal seaweed is still washing up on our shores in droves, which stinks considering it's turtle egg-laying season. This seaweed is not normal at all (even the New York Times wrote a story on it last year), is affecting most of the Caribbean (making resorts work overtime to clean it up - an impossible task), and is stumping scientists. I miss our clean, white sandy beaches but usually manage to find a patch to lounge on anyway. If this stuff becomes a permanent feature on the islands, we'll have to find a way to make $ from it - seaweed energy anyone? Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

Don't miss my new book:

A Sail of Two Idiots

For Excerpts and Details Click Here

Out now on Amazon!

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- Hazy and Warmer

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Mon, 19 Mar 2012 10:37:06 +0000

Yep, we're back to the early am showers. It's also hazy out there. I think the humidity is up a bit, but it may just feel that way because the winds have died down. The wind pattern looks the same all week, so it is what it is. It was warmer in some parts of the States than it was here! Pretty crazy. Hope everyone has a good week, Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

Don't miss my new book:

A Sail of Two Idiots

For Excerpts and Details Click Here

Out in April 2012! Pre-order on Amazon.

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- Ha!

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2012 10:59:59 +0000

For the past 3 days, and for the first time in months, we didn't have morning showers and I was going to post that we seem to have broken the pattern. But every time I do that, I turn out to be wrong. Yes, I'm a jinx. Sure enough, this morning we're seeing some light rain. Nothing major, but it looks like we might have a little more this morning before a nice day clicks in. Should be a good day for doing laundry though. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

Don't miss my new book:

A Sail of Two Idiots

For Details Click Here

Out in April 2012! Pre-order on Amazon.

- Wintery With a Splash of Summer

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2012 10:08:56 +0000

The stubborn morning showers have stayed with us, even quickly dousing the Earl and Duchess of Wessex during their visit this past weekend, but overnight last night we had some serious downpours. We haven't see the likes of those for a couple of months now. It's been very windy, with seas up even on the Caribbean side. As long as the humidity stays down, I'm happy. Nice summer blanket on the bed, no bugs...This is my favorite time of year.

The forecast calls for showers in the morning but brisk trade winds to sweep them away, but the radar has quite a few little blobs out and about, so who knows. It's overcast this morning like always this winter, so that doesn't tell me anything. Just be prepared for some wet stuff! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

Don't miss my new book:

A Sail of Two Idiots

For Details Click Here

Out in April 2012! Pre-order on Amazon.

- White caps

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2012 12:41:58 +0000

The ocean side of the island looked pretty swelly yesterday, but the southeast side beaches weren't too bad. There was a lot of seaweed coming in, unfortunately. Today, we've got white caps on the sea-side of the island and it's very windy - especially some gusts. I'll be surprised if the cruise ship I just saw heading toward Basseterre will be able to pull up to the concrete dolphins. Sometimes they're forced to anchor out and ferry their passengers in. The passing showers continue - mostly sunny though. Gonna be a good day for a run. Renee (www.islandbabble.blogspot.com)

- Windy City

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sun, 26 Feb 2012 13:55:39 +0000

So the winds are back, the rain showers continue. Now the change is that we get a # of passing showers throughout the day. They don't last long, but they make you run for cover. The Christmas winds are back and really gust when the rain cells come through. The forecast for today actually warns sun bathers to be cautious. Alrighty then. This will either take out the seaweed or bring it back in. We'll see in a few hours. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Morning Showers

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:35:46 +0000

As I type this (6:20am), it's raining. Every single cruise ship that's pulled in this summer has had to have had its passengers staring out the portholes frowning. Oh boo, it's going to be a rainy day in St. Kitts. Then by the time they've eaten breakfast and shuffled down the gangway, the clouds are gone and all is well. Every single day. I'd say the only difference between now and my last post is the intensity of the showers. We were having late night/early morning downpours that were really saturating things and keeping the island green when normally we'd be dealing with wildfires and water shortages. In the past week or two, we've seen just a passing light shower or misting. More clouds than moisture. Things are starting to brown up.

The seaweed that's been clogging our beaches had been dissipating, but seems to be returning. Hrmph. The water's too cold for me to get into anyway, but seaweed on the beach is stinky and buggy, and turtles should be coming up and laying their eggs soon, so it would be nice if they had a clear path to do so.

The radar is looking rather messy this morning thanks to a cold front, so today might be a bit soggier than usual until afternoon. Good thing I did laundry yesterday! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Morning Blahs

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2012 10:48:12 +0000

It's been really crazy how consistent our weather has been for months now. Every single morning starts with dark clouds and quick but heavy downpours. I'm really appreciating my new(ish) treadmill or I'd never get a workout in. The cruise ship passengers must groan upon awakening at their new destination and seeing such a dreary day. I know we are! Luckily, it usually burns off by noon and all is well. Normally everything is dry as a tinderbox and we're nearing drought conditions by this time of year. Everything is still quite lush and green. Temps are normal winter temps though - staying in the high 70s with gusty cool winds. I wake up each morning with the cats huddling against my body for warmth. I don't get up until they start slapping me across the face wanting food though - really... Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

Morning Blahs

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- Better?

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:54:06 +0000

After lots of complaining on Facebook about the rain and cold, those of us in St. Kitts had a very nice day yesterday. This morning doesn't exactly look promising, but the forecast assures us that conditions will improve. Nice temps for now, but the people getting into the water are crazy! 80 degrees? Brr. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Ugly

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:43:37 +0000

Wow - what an ugly morning. The sky is one big leaden dark gray cloud. Our early am showers have been steadily moving later and later into the mornings and are now occurring right when I normally run (5:30-7am). I don't mind getting a little wet - it cools me off and I'm sweaty anyway - but these are torrential. That's no fun! Especially when the temps are in the low 70s and it's windy. Yesterday we got a couple of rare day showers, which made doing laundry a bit of a challenge (I didn't always get to the drying clothes in time - much cursing). Today's forecast calls from some unstable conditions, so although the radar doesn't look too bad, I'm guessing we'll see a little more rain than normal throughout the day. It is nippy! Who says we don't get winter in the Caribbean?! Renee (www.Islandbabble.blogspot.com)

- Aaah, nice.

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sun, 15 Jan 2012 10:31:55 +0000

This is the time of year we are reminded of why we live here. It's in the low 70s at night/early morning and low 80s during the day. It's been very windy lately, but it feels great. There are no mosquitoes, no more flies, and you can sit outside and enjoy the fantastic weather in the evenings (I have to drape a beach towel over myself though because I get cold). We are still getting quick but heavy showers most nights and early mornings (it's 6:30am and raining now), but the days have been sunny and clear. It's been fun to wear our long-sleeved shirts and jeans again. In the summer I always wonder why we have those heavy clothes, it's hard to imagine ever needing them. Last year, it stayed this way until mid-summer; let's hope we can enjoy this reprieve for as long as possible. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Same ol'

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2012 10:39:44 +0000

We're still getting a surprising amount of rain for this time of year. Luckily, still most of it at night or early morning. Winds are kind of puny so it's been a bit hot, but without humidity is still pleasant. Evenings have still been cool. The flies are tapering off and seem to be relegated now to certain areas of the island (like The Strip). Unfortunately, the centipedes are making a comeback, so we're having to watch where we step! The cats are earning their keep again, warning us and keeping the things corralled until we can rid ourselves of our unwanted guest(s). Looks like we might have one more night including showers and then things should dry out for the weekend. Sounds good to us! Renee (IslandBabble)

- winter showers

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sat, 31 Dec 2011 02:16:11 +0000

There's not doubt winter's here, but we're still having a surprising amount of rain. The good news is that it's usually at night or very early in the morning and is keeping things green without ruining everyone's day. Unfortunately, it's also making flies happy. For the most part, we seem to be past mosquito season, but we're having a hard time shaking the fly situation. We've had quite a few gusty showers since about 4:30/5pm (about mid-way through the children's carnival parade), but hopefully they'll move on for our New Year's Eve. There are a lot of firework displays planned. Hope I stay awake to see at least one of them! Happy New Year everyone, Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Perfect

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sat, 24 Dec 2011 15:08:12 +0000

Today is just sun and wind. Perfect. Oddly we're being inundated with flies and mosquitoes though. I sure hope this is the last batch of these babies. We just bleached the house down trying to make the place inhospitable for these flies, but they don't seem to have noticed. The cats have given up trying ot nab them too. Hrmph. Guess we'll just leave the house to them and go outside and enjoy the nice weather. Have a great holiday everyone, Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Brrr

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2011 10:30:46 +0000

Yesterday we had bouts of gusty winds and showers which increased over night. About every hour in the past 8 hours, the winds have increased exponentially and we've had 5-10 minute downpours. The winds have been high enough to cause some minor damage to things such things as outdoor hanging lights, fans, etc. If I hadn't gone to bed with sweatpants on, I would have had to grab a blanket! The radar seems to show most moisture pockets south of us, but a look outside shows another round of rain on the way and our curtains are flying inward again. Brrr! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Wintry

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:14:34 +0000

I'm getting my answer as to whether some rainy weather was coming with the predicted gusty winds and high waves. Yep. It's supposed to be spotty, and the radar and our skies, reflect that. It's rather nippy out there too. I might have to make myself some hot chocolate or something. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Finally

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:16:16 +0000

Is it safe to call it winter? We've had a couple of really nice days with more forecasted. Nights and early mornings have been cool enough that the ceiling fans are off, our electric bill is down, and the cats are cuddling again. Morning runs start out with goosebumps in the chilled air. The satellite photos are probably the clearest they've been. Weather Underground shows in an uptick in rain chances on Wed and winds will be up that day too, but I think overall we seem to be getting into a winter pattern. The seas have gotten pretty rough (on the ocean side) and although the weather forecast predicts lower wave heights, neither WindFinder nor MyForecast are showing that - waves are supposed to be up to 13' by Thursday. Ocean-side beaches could get eroded and rip tides will probably be in order, so be careful and maybe just stick to the sea-side beaches. If these are the Christmas winds, then expect such conditions for the next few months. This is a good thing. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Dare I say it?

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Fri, 16 Dec 2011 10:34:41 +0000

I hate to jinx us, but it does seem drier out there today. Yesterday was a pretty miserable day until about 2-3pm. Conditions finally started improving and by evening things were even rather nippy. This morning things look good, there is definitely a wind, and I'm cold. The sea doesn't look particularly rough from where I am, but the ocean is predicted to have high waves. It was white capping yesterday (I was surprised to see a sailboat out there), so today and the next few days will be more of the same. Watch for rip tides if you're swimming, surfing, or snorkeling off any of the ocean-side beaches. There's a cultural market and street fair in downtown Basseterre today, so I hope things stay nice so everyone can enjoy them. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Thanks Mom

By RPetrillo MPuceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Thu, 15 Dec 2011 07:59:07 -0700

Every time my mom comes to visit, we have great weather. It was like that when we were sailing and during her visit here in 2010. Yesterday, she came in on a cruise ship (one of 4 that came in for the day) and after an iffy start, we had sunny skies the whole day. It was rather hot actually, so she might have been wishing for some cloud cover. Today, it's supposed to be spotty in the rain department as a high pressure system comes through, but at the moment - I'd say it's outright raining. The wind's up too. Lovely day to stay in and read a book. Too bad that's not what I'm doing... There's only 1 small cruise ship in today, but I'm sure the folks on it would prefer this weather clear up. Us too - there's a lot going on starting tomorrow and beyond, so let's hope this blows through soon. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- windy weekend?

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:12:40 +0000

Looks like another partly cloudy day. No complaints there, it keeps the heat down. We still don't have any wind, but it looks like something is coming for Friday & Saturday. Both WindFinder and MyForecast show show winds over 20 knots. Cool! No one is saying anything about rain, so let's hope it stays that way. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Oooh, Sun

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sun, 11 Dec 2011 11:28:41 +0000

Yesterday it rained and rained and rained and then stopped just in time for our hash. It was still overcast, but that's ok, it keeps a hike from getting too hot. Things were a little humid, but surprisingly there were absolutely no bugs. None. We ended up having a great hash and were able to enjoy some good grub, beverages, friends, and even a visit from Santa. Today, we will be heading to the beach early, so that if those pesky rain showers return (and they are actually predicted to just that), we'll have got some fun in the sun. There are a lot of carnival events coming up, so I'd like to put in a request that things start drying out, please. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- Drip

By RPetrillo MPuceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2011 10:28:08 -0700

Still raining and now it looks like it's developing more south of us too. Welcome to dreary-land Guadeloupe. This is going to be a wet, cold hash. Oh well. Can't be perfect all the time. Time to pack the wet gear and sweats. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Make it Stop!

By RPetrillo MPuceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2011 03:52:55 -0700

Ah yes. Another summer day, in December. Yesterday included lots of quick showers, mistings, if you will, in-between bouts of sunshine. That meant lots of rainbows. About 1am things turned ugly with the downpours starting. With dawn has come more of the same, but add some thunder and lightning. The rain seems to be coming from the east, which is odd, and it does look like winds will start clocking back around to the normal NE later today, so hopefully that'll stop the rain as well. Radar seems to show most of the bad stuff in the northern island chain for a change (from us to Antigua to St. Martin to even Puerto Rico). There are some winds in this system, but they won't last so by tomorrow we'll be dealing with the incessant flies, gnats, and vampire mosquitoes again. Today is our Christmas hash, so we'll have to be prepared. Bet it'll be a bit chilly for this one (at least afterward). I notice that just about all the Eastern Caribbean islands are apologizing to their tourists for this unfortunate weather. I feel more for the business owners, who are losing not only tourism business but that of locals as well. The satellite picture seems to show drying air coming (although it's looking crummy toward Africa), so maybe we can all hit the beach tomorrow. We seem to be on an every other day pattern, so if the sun is out, you can bet we will be too. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- AAGH!

By RPetrillo MPuceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Thu, 8 Dec 2011 15:23:25 -0700

The bugs! The bugs! AAAGH! Gnats and flies during the day; mosquitoes at twilight and beyond. I hit my leg tonight and caught 5 mosquitoes at once. Gross. My entire body is one big itch. If there was any wind today, it sure wasn't on the south side of the island. It was hot. I'm not seeing anything on the forecast in the way of wind until Monday and I'm skeptical. Ugh. Will winter never come?? If you're coming here for a visit, make sure you're ready for the little vampires. This batch is giving the ones we experienced in the Bahamas a run for their money and that's saying something. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Sun!

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Wed, 7 Dec 2011 14:24:07 +0000

We had a really beautiful sunset last night. Today, the sun is back, but the wind isn't. Looks like it should start building later today though. It sure is getting cool in the evenings and we like that. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- Rain Everywhere

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Tue, 6 Dec 2011 11:51:38 +0000

I just got back from Barbados. We took a very small plane there and encountered a lot of really cruddy weather both on the way to Barbados and on the way back. Going, the pilot had to keep going lower and lower to get under the cloud cover as we approached Barbados. On the way back, we saw a pretty rainbow just outside of Martinique, and then got bounced around pretty good in some nasty air pockets while it poured. It was a bit scary. The clouds cleared near Dominica and we could see the mud pouring off the island. As we neared St. Kitts, we could see that the weather wasn't so great there either. We had heard that it had rained every day we were gone (since Friday) and there was the evidence flowing from the mountains and into the sea. Today it looks like more of the same. The weather forecast suggests this will be gone by tomorrow and I really hope they're right. I feel badly for anyone vacationing on any of these islands right now - this is really rare to not only be getting this much rain this time of year, but for this many days in a row. We met up with some friends from Canada while on our trip and we were all about the same pasty color. Hard to get a tan in this kind of weather. Here's to hoping the Eastern Caribbean sees some sun tomorrow! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- Sun?

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:28:37 +0000

I still see clouds out there, but things are supposed to dry out. Hope so. Yesterday's thunderstorms didn't materialize, mainly because we didn't have enough sun to heat things up as predicted, but we did get some misty-type rains around 4pm. With those light rains came lots of rainbows set against dark skies. Nifty. I'm looking forward to the sun, but with non-existent winds again, it's going to get very hot. We should start seeing a breeze again by tomorrow. It may be the last official day of hurricane season, but there's an NHC circled blob to our northeast and what looks like a tropical wave way to the south, so I wouldn't quite let down my guard yet. All we need now is the Christmas winds to dry things out and cool things off, ridding us of any tropical systems. Yes, that is an invitation. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Rain go away

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2011 11:00:52 +0000

I can't speak for the countryside, but we didn't get a whole lot of rain yesterday. I was watching the radar on and off to warn Michael who was on the job cleaning up after Saturday's mess, and saw another big ugly mass of green approach us. The skies got darker, we braced ourselves, and then nothing happened. Huh? I checked the radar again and was surprised to see all the clouds now moving southwest instead of the previous northwest. Huh? We got kissed by the storm and then it skirted around us. Then everything started going northeast again. Um, thanks?

Anyway, we have very dark skies out there to our south. It looks like Nevis is about to get wet and we might too. The forecast is for south winds and daytime heating to trigger late morning thunderstorms. All I read was "hot." Winds are going to minimal for the next 3 days, although at least they'll start to clock back around to the NE and cool us back down eventually. So, brace yourselves for a scorcher. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- What month is this?

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Mon, 28 Nov 2011 11:17:36 +0000

We've got quite a storm system terrorizing Guadeloupe, Dominica, and Martinique for this time of year. (WonderMap radar). We had more rain yesterday and overnight, but it was light enough that I'm not sure any more damage was done other than what we had after the early Saturday a.m. deluge. Since that wasn't very exciting, we had an earthquake. The USGS website reports it as being a 4.7, but I'm really surprised by that. Considering it originated in St. Martin, and things were shaking pretty good on our nightstands, we thought it was stronger. Plus, we felt two tremors, about 20 seconds apart, with the second one being stronger and longer than the first (about 4-5 seconds). It felt like a giant was kicking the house. If there were any loose boulders on any of the moist cliffs on the island, that just might have dislodged them. Be careful out there! The worst of the rain still seems to be going east, but the air is moist and the system is pretty big, so we should be prepared for more. If we do get rain, it should be later in the day, so get out and do your stuff now while it's dry(er). Be safe everyone! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- More rain

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sun, 27 Nov 2011 22:56:13 +0000

Once again, the day wasn't too bad most of the day, but the rains started a just before after 4:30pm. Pretty steady right now (6:30), but not as hard as the wee hours of the a.m. (yet). Unfortunately, Crown Weather has put out a warning on Facebook predicting some heavy rains through Tuesday throughout the Leewards, so we'll have to see how much of that involves us. While the islands south of here seem to be drying out at the moment, the radar definitely has us in the cross-hairs of at least a couple of hours of rain right now. Worse, the system has become sort of circular, so what's passed us seems to be coming back. The roads are already starting to feel the pain and cliffs are eroding (note the new stairway to heaven, or thereabouts). Not sure what we'll wake up to in the morning. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- Dreary

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sun, 27 Nov 2011 12:30:53 +0000

Yesterday didn't turn out to be too bad. It drizzled a bit around 5pm, but was sunny enough to burn beach goers during the day. About 2am though we got deluged with rain. It went on hard and uninterrupted for about an hour with a few thunder claps sprinkled in. There was some flooding and erosion and a flash flood watch is in effect until 4pm today. This morning is just bleh and even a bit chilly. It looks like the system is actually going eastward, so a lot of it has passed us already or is walloping the islands southeast of us. It is dreary out there and the air is moist, so it's not exactly a beach day (yet?). Time to go back to bed! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Movie Day?

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sat, 26 Nov 2011 13:56:47 +0000

It looks like we might get some rain today. It's starting to get pretty cloudy out there. There's talk of thunderstorms later, with Weather Underground and Accuweather suggesting the bad weather will go through Monday! Hrmph. I think we'll head to the movies today and see Puss N Boots since The Muppets isn't in theaters here yet. No we don't have any kids, but we're kids at heart! Tomorrow, we'll just have to see. Sleep in. Mexican Train dominoes? Hope weather's good wherever you are. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

Did you see the pretty double rainbow picture the Storm Carib St. Martin correspondent posted?

- Thanksgiving

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:21:55 +0000

The radar is clear, the forecast is for settled weather for the next 24 hours, and yet the sky has more clouds than sun. It was incredibly hot yesterday. Inside the house, the thermostat read 91! I tried to work out on the treadmill, but the motor was so hot before I even started running, that the thing overheated before I got to the 2nd mile. Note to self: Don't exercise in the hottest part of the day. There is definitely more of a breeze today, and if we stick with the peek-a-boo sun, it might be a nice day to get outside. Thanksgiving should be pleasant too, so if you're in the islands for the holiday enjoy! If on St. Kitts this weekend, head to the blog for what's happening. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- So Much for Dry

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Mon, 21 Nov 2011 10:19:53 +0000

The weather forecast has not been very accurate lately. This was not a dry weekend. Saturday was mostly sunny, but the humidity was up a bit. Yesterday brought just enough rain showers to ruin our beach day. We attempted to hang out anyway, but the sand flies/fleas were so bad that we lasted about an hour and half before giving up. It rained overnight, and there are showers out and about this morning, as well. Winds are supposed to be light again today, but will start coming back Tuesday. We will be quite happy if that happens. You can see that the water temps are down to 83 degrees, so no, I haven't been getting in. 85 or higher thank you! Today's prediction sounds a lot like what we experienced yesterday weather-wise. Winter, where are you?! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Dry

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2011 10:41:52 +0000

The storms did not come to pass last night. You know the humidity is down when I straighten my hair and it stays that way. Yahoo! The radar is back up and running and there are little dots of rain out and about, but the forecast is for dryer air for the next few days. The system to the east is definitely being battered, so we'll have to see how determined it is to develop into something anyway. Hiking and beaching it this weekend. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Watching

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2011 11:26:05 +0000

It seems the St. Martin radar is under maintenance (it hasn't been updated for 2 days), so hard to say what's going on other than taking a look out the window. Sun, poofy white clouds. The forecast is for a nice day, but a stormy night. Not sure where the storms will be coming from, but I guess we'll see if that prediction comes to fruition. Let's hear it for wind shear though, as a tropical disturbance trying to get itself named Tammy works itself up to the east. Whatever it does, the system is supposed to go north by Wednesday and avoid hitting anyone. Kudos to that vortex that has been in the same spot the entire season! These elongated systems always seem to divide though and soak the islands to the south of us, so let's hope they (and us) avoid that fate this time. We're in-season now (read tourists) and severe rain dousings are not our friend. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- A final gasp

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:59:43 +0000

What's all that stuff to our east?? Although there isn't much showing over us on the radar, we've had strange weather today. We had quite a bit of rain overnight, and then partly cloudy skies today. Every once in a while we had mist-like rain. The humidity is back, although not as bad as it has been. The forecast is for this activity to taper off, so maybe that stuff we're seeing off to the east will miss us. Despite the increased moisture in the air, the nights are definitely feeling cooler. I went running with friends on Tuesday night and we ended up with goosebumps on our sweaty bodies. Winter's trying to come, but summer won't let go! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Two Geeks on a Beach

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:18:42 +0000

We had a rather tough week and were happy to have a beach day yesterday. Two folding chairs, one cooler, a couple of gossip magazines, an mp3 player with speakers, a white sandy beach, and greenish/blue waters = perfection. It is much less humid than it has been. There's been a cooling breeze and there have been just enough clouds to keep things from getting too hot, but not so many that the days are dreary. This is when we remember why we chose to live in the Caribbean. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Blue skies

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Fri, 11 Nov 2011 16:54:13 +0000

Ok, so the cool temps didn't last, and the rain brought out some biting bugs, but the skies are clear and the humidity isn't quite what it was. We haven't had the evening heat lightning for the past couple of days either. The wet season should be winding down, but with Sean bearing down on Bermuda, I'd say we're not quite there yet. We're hoping for a nice weekend so we can get our tans back. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Finally!

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Thu, 10 Nov 2011 09:46:02 +0000

That is that sensation?? Is that a chill in the air? No ceiling fans last night and even a sheet thrown over my goose-bumped body. I can't wait to run this morning and not have steam come off my skin. It seems I'll have to accept rain in order to enjoy these temps though. Forecasts suggest that today should dry out eventually. Maybe, but looking at the radar it seems we're going to get a pretty good soaking before that happens. Every island south of us is getting wet and there is a lot of activity still to come. Things are dry at the moment though, so I'll enjoy it while it lasts. See - I said it and it came true. Now I'm going to wish for world peace, a cancer cure, and some extra cash. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Hey!

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Wed, 9 Nov 2011 19:37:37 +0000

Hey! Who turned the water spigot on?! It's pouring. Still hot, but pouring. Maybe it'll cool things down when it's all said and done. If I say it, it'll be true right? Looks like it might be awhile before we find out, since the radar is quite a mess at the moment. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Weather Forecast

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Wed, 9 Nov 2011 14:32:33 +0000

Hot and sticky. Tomorrow - hot and sticky. Friday - hot and... I'm going to start freezing my bras and underwear for a cool pick me up when I'm sopping in sweat by 9:30am. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Ruuuumble

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sun, 6 Nov 2011 22:51:32 +0000

More rumbling out there. Slowly but surely, the clouds started coming across the southeast portion of the island today, but we optimistically drove down to our favorite beach anyway. It was in much better shape than it has been from a seaweed standpoint, but wasn't as cleaned up as it was supposed to be, so Michael's work intruded a bit on the day, but we were able to enjoy the beach without getting poured on at least. It sure is humid though. I actually got sick during my earlier workout I got so overheated. We were kind of glad to have the cloud cover this afternoon. The water's still rather warm too. Every once in a while, the ocean seems to be incredibly shallow and we can walk waaaaaaaay out into there before it reaches our shoulders. Today was one of those days. Can you see Michael wading toward St. Barths? Nightfall has brought more lightning and thunder. Nothing earth shattering yet, but the night is young. Forecasts show an unsettled upcoming week, so it looks like more of the same. Winter please. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- Still

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sun, 6 Nov 2011 14:50:18 +0000

What the heck has happened to the wind? The doldrums had been predicted, but wow! Unfortunately, this stillness is expected to last through today as well, but the winds should start picking up again on Monday. The good news is that despite the lack of moving air, there weren't many bugs last night. We did get some rain though, so tonight might be a different story. Yes, it turns out that as soon as people started getting on the dance floor to whoop it up during the Guy Fawkes festivities at Mr. X's Shiggidy Shack (about 10pm) it started sprinkling. Nooo!! It drizzled for about 10 minutes, but thankfully stopped and let the party go on. I got home between 1/1:30am and noticed lightning flashes in the distance. Later (I didn't check the time), we got the whole shabang and enjoyed lightning, thunder, and rain for a bit. This morning brings flat seas, no wind, a mix of sun/clouds and a spotty radar. It does look like rain is crossing the island's northwest side so everybody head to the southeast! NHC is still circling stuff, so hurricane season isn't over til it's over (Nov 30th).

While I was typing this our power went out (which means cable/internet too) - so much for my treadmill workout. Don't forget we're now 1 hour ahead of everyone (on the east coast) again. I dread the fall-back part of daylight savings time. Because we don't switch with everyone else, all our shows come on at 9 now instead of 8 (zzzzzzzzz). Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- TGIS!

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sat, 5 Nov 2011 12:51:29 +0000

It's Saturday once again. I'd say Happy Guy Fawke's Day, but honestly, I'm amazed this day is celebrated anywhere. Even the fact that the Occupy Wall Streeters are identifying with this 16th century figure is strange. That said, I'm keeping an eye on the weather worried that the evening events at Mr. X's Shiggidy Shack might get a little wet. The weather forecast suggests showers (and maybe thunderstorms later), and I think the satellite and radar supports this (although all the wet stuff could stay east). However, both Weather Underground and Accuweather show a nice day today but ugliness Monday. I guess we'll be seeing who's the most accurate in just a few hours! Have a good weekend everybody. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Summer Renewed

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Fri, 4 Nov 2011 11:57:26 +0000

I think the weather report is going to be spot on today. Hazy and humid. Waves are coming from the NE, but the wind waves are East Southeast creating uncomfortable swells on the south (sea) side of the island. Wow - with a forecast like that you'd think it was June or something. Oh well, it could be worse. As a matter of fact, the next 3 days could be pretty sweltering as it looks like the wind is about to go bye-bye. Oh well, that's what beaches and pools are for. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Holy Cow!

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Thu, 3 Nov 2011 09:40:58 +0000

Well, that was fun! We had lots of lightning and quiet rumbles until about 11pm when all hell broke loose. It started to rain and then the lightning turned into blinding flashes accompanied by window-shaking cracks of thunder that deafened us before the spots could form behind our eyelids. Wow. The rain continued for a looooong time, but thankfully the crazy fireworks ended after about a half hour. True to form, after the lightning stopped, the power went out for a little while, although not for long. There's still rain to the west of us on the radar, but nothing on-island. I don't see any lightning and it's still too dark out to assess the cloud situation (why do I get up so early?!), so who knows if this system is done with us yet. It sure did cool things down! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Rain?

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Wed, 2 Nov 2011 22:57:46 +0000

There hasn't been a whole lot going on on the weather front lately. Pretty decent breezes, continuing humidity. I did notice an ashy layer in the sky on the ocean side yesterday that I'm guessing came from a slightly more active volcano on Montserrat. I didn't notice it today, but it did get rather soupy out there. The rain we thought we were going to get last night/early this morning is now surrounding us on radar. There is some lightning and some grumbles here and there, but nothing wet yet. As is typical, it'll probably start pouring as soon as I hit the send button. This instability isn't expected to last long, so we'll just be glad to have the moisture. Soon things will be winter brown again! I'll take it over the white stuff any day! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Here comes the sun

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:40:04 +0000

Nothing like staying at a place with no water. I was lucky to find some coffee-pot water to give the dog to wet her whistle. I had kind of hoped for our usual early a.m. downpour, but noooooo. The sunrise was pretty though. Hurricane Rina has turned out to be quite a storm. Glad she was to the west of us but feel for those in her path. It ain't over it it's over! It looks like Guadeloupe, to our south, is getting some rain this morning, but I'm if we'll be seeing much of that today. It is a bit moist out there (my hands are sticky). Off to find some agua. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- Mystery solved

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:33:48 +0000

Thanks to Raf, who correctly identified the insect invasion we had last week as being midges (more info). That's exactly what they were, although I had never heard of them before. I'm hoping to not experience their antics again either. We had a couple of pretty good downpours this morning, but we've had sun for the most part. I've been straddling houses taking care of my own pets and someone else's and am amazed at how different the "climate" is between the two. I sit in a puddle of sweat at my house (on the sea), wishing for a stronger breeze (although we do have one today) and then go 10 minutes away to the ocean side and get pummeled by winds high enough to howl through the window cracks. Strangely, the high winds have done nothing to keep mosquitoes away though. Boo. It does look like the winds will get a little lighter tomorrow, but will be back for the rest of the week. Sounds good to me! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Zen

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sat, 22 Oct 2011 10:41:50 +0000

We've had the most beautiful skies lately. Check out Friday night's sunset (photo taken by Krista who hosts the My Islands Forum). This morning was pretty too. Today should be rather stagnant with showers developing later, but I won't notice as I have to continue to stare at my computer and work. Why I need my zen moments....Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- Invasion

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2011 10:32:39 +0000

Yesterday (Thursday), I went down to The Strip and was inundated with what looked like mosquitoes. The air was thick with them. Bar/table surfaces were covered with dead little bodies, and the underside of roofs (from canvas to wood) were black with live and expired creatures. It was very strange. Workers were hosing everything down so the dead bugs wouldn't fall into people's food later. One of them told me they'd never seen anything like it. The tiny boogers didn't seem to really bite and they looked more delicate than mosquitoes, so who knows what they were, but there were so many of them, it was freaky. A few even made their way into my mouth and nose. Yuck! They certainly had very short life spans (especially the ones that made it into my orifices). There were still quite a few by nightfall hovering around any light source, but they were definitely fewer, so hopefully they'll be gone by today. I'm not sure if that phenomenon was limited to Frigate Bay or was island-wide.

This morning, we've got some showers and the radar looks spotty. Today should be mostly sunny, with intermittent, quick rain showers in the am (which has been the standard all week). The nights are definitely getting cooler. Yippee! We're not quite there yet with the days. We haven't let our guard down with tropical storms yet and won't until we quit seeing tropical waves waft off the African continent, but are starting to feel the vibes of the new tourist season. We're ready! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Ditto, etc.

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:28:34 +0000

Today is shaping up to be exactly like yesterday. We've been having night showers, early morning downpours with rainbows, and then sunny skies with a great breeze during the day. The beaches are still covered in that stupid seaweed, but the ocean (still a bit rough) wasn't inundated with it as much yesterday as it has been. I really hope this is the end of it so we can get the beaches cleaned up for the season. People who are from here or have lived here for years have said they've never seen the beaches look like this. There's always a first and a last. Yes, please. A number of leatherbacks have come up on various beaches in the past few days to lay eggs and a few hatchlings have hatched too. The baby turtles have a hard enough time getting their little selves to the ocean without having to maneuver through some thick seaweed on their way there. Another good thing is that the haze is gone. if you compare today's picture with the last entry's you can see that Nevis's peak appears right where it belongs again. Saturday, Michael had a sneeze fit that consisted of over 30 sneezes, so he is most grateful to see clearing skies. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- A Mix

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sun, 16 Oct 2011 11:22:15 +0000

We had a few overnight downpours and this morning is more of the same. Oddly, I'm staring at sunny skies as it does this. The rain is coming from behind the house (from the north) and the seas to the south are basking in the sun, staying nice and dry. Rainbows keep popping up all over the place. Pretty cool, actually. The forecast is for this to dry out soon and give us a great beach day and then have a night similar to the last one. We'll take it! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Stewed Air

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2011 11:22:40 +0000

I'm sure glad we have a breeze, because the air has gotten thick again. My husband, Michael's nose has been stuffed up and our eyes are burning. All the mountains are in a haze. From the angle of the attached photo, you can usually see Nevis in the background. Not lately! Whassup??!! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- What's that?

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:10:11 +0000

Is that rain?? Maybe I jinxed us with that last entry, but we'll certainly take it. We had a shower or two overnight and some now this morning. A tropical wave is right over top of us, so it'll probably shower off and on all day, but the radar isn't looking like it's a big deal. The local forecast does suggest a possible thunderstorm though. We'll see. I'm still waiting on the humidity to go down, but seeing the wave that's sprawled across the ocean south of us again, I'm guessing that's not quite in the cards yet. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Nevis Showers

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2011 10:52:36 +0000

Just when we thought that the seaweed action was done and had all the beaches cleaned up, it's back. The seas were surprisingly high and rough on the ocean side as well. We hadn't felt a rip tide like that in almost 3 years. Hmm, what's going on up north? Right before the Latin Fiesta concert down at Spice Mill was supposed to start (about 2:30), nerves got a little rattled as it got a little ugly across The Narrows. Nevis got about 1/2 hour of showers, but lucky for us, they moved off to the southwest and stayed over the water leaving us to dance La Bamba and salsa for the rest of the afternoon. Good times. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- Ho Hum

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sun, 9 Oct 2011 13:26:42 +0000

The weather's perfect. Zzzzzzzz. Are we in our winter pattern of sunny skies, sunny skies, and more sunny skies? Seems like it, although we're still waiting for the humidity to decrease a little bit more. There are still tropical waves forming, one's just south of us, but they're less frequent and not really doing anything. We can't completely let our guard down, as we've had late-season hurricanes in the past, but they're unlikely. We're looking forward to a fun concert on the beach today. Life is full. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- Typical Caribbean Days

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Tue, 4 Oct 2011 18:44:04 +0000

We know we're not in winter mode yet, because despite the pleasant breezes, we still have to have our ceiling fans on. It's still a little more moist than we'd like, but the bug situation has improved greatly, so that gets a thumbs up. I also know we're not in winter mode yet, because there's quite a mess of a tropical wave south of us today. Moisture reaches all the way from the African Coast to Grenada. I'm not sure how that'll affect us eventually, if at all, but wouldn't complain if we got a little rain out of it. Soon, we'll be into our dry season and we could stand to fill the aquifers a wee bit more. Of course, I need to be specific when I say that I would not like to see that rain over the weekend. Our Hash Limpics are on Saturday and a great Latino concert will take place on Cockleshell beach on Sunday. I'm looking forward to both. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Beautiful Day

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sun, 2 Oct 2011 23:27:30 +0000

We could not have asked for anything better from a weather standpoint. There was just the right breeze, a sunny day that lost most of its humidity, and very few bugs. If you were on the island for this one, it doesn't get any better than this. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- Beautiful!

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sun, 2 Oct 2011 15:11:19 +0000

Yesterday was hot, but gorgeous. We had a fun walk/run for a great cause and are looking forward to a quiet day at the beach later. The breeze we were counting on is here and hopefully it'll whisk away the lasting humidity (especially, since winds are going to go bye-bye this week). Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- Miracles of Miracles

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2011 09:44:59 +0000

Finally, she's gone and not a moment too soon. Pretty amazing stuff to see how fast Ophelia blew up once she got past that certain spot. Good luck to Bermuda who now has to worry about this menace. Looks like it's going to be another scorcher today with hardly a breeze, but slowly but surely some air circulation should return. Might still be a bit toasty for our St. Christopher Children's Home Family Run/Walk tomorrow, but should be a fun event anyway. Let's hope we're done for the season with these tropical systems. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Is she gone yet?

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:19:52 +0000

Well, the bulbous portion of Opheiia has gone north, but there's still some moisture to our east and certainly nothing's changed from the stagnant air standpoint. Wow! Poor Dominica had a rain cloud sit over top of her the entire day yesterday and really took one for the island chain. Hopefully drier conditions will prevail and let them dry out and clean up. I've been running a little later in the morning hoping the bugs will be a little less thick - it' sort of working. Winds might get over 10 knots this weekend (15 even on Sunday), which sounds good. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Groundhogs Day

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2011 21:41:28 +0000

Is anyone else looking at the sat pics and double checking the times on them because they always look the same?? At least the bugs are enjoying the calm. A lot. Me? Not so much. We did get a little rain today, but nothing major. I am completely unconvinced that this thing will be gone tomorrow, but hope springs eternal. It looks like TS Philippe is going to pass north of everyone before Ophelia pulls it together. I guess we'll just have to keep remembering that while it may be hot and sticky, that's much better than having to rebuild our houses because they were taken out by a storm that brought us plenty of wind (like the mess in the Bahamas). Of course, I think we can all agree that a happy medium isn't too much to ask for....Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- What??

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2011 09:46:50 +0000

I can NOT believe that I woke up this morning to a renewed Ophelia off to our EAST again!!!! Yes, I'm shouting. That is truly incredible. Despite being surrounded by an ever expanding storm cell when we went to bed, we didn't get an ounce of rain last night. I just had to shake my head when I saw the usual blob that is Ophelia taunting us again, while I tried not to gag on my morning soda. The early am NHC report says this thing should stop its lollygagging later (3mph!), head north, and move away from us today. Promise?!! It does look like Dominica is getting doused at the moment; it's possible we could see some rain from all this unstable air as well. Ophelia, just go already - Jeez! Renee (www.islandBabble.blogspot.com)

- She's coming!

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Tue, 27 Sep 2011 19:53:30 +0000

Finally, Ophelia comes! Sort of. At about 1:30 we started getting a few darkening clouds and at 3:30 we were listening to distant but surprisingly loud thunder. It's rained a little bit, but not a whole lot. It looks to me like the storm is actually moving south. Very strange. All I can say is that I hope we wake up in the morning and that all this is actually on the west side of us for a change. At least it'll be a change of scenery. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Will today be the day?

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Tue, 27 Sep 2011 11:57:17 +0000

Ophelia in any of her tropical forms seems to have become a permanent condition. Every morning we look at the sat images and every morning there she is off to our east. It seems like it's been years. The sea and ocean are as flat as pancakes. It's so hot that I threw a dog we're taking care of in the shower yesterday afternoon to cool her off. I'd be surprised if we didn't get some rain today though (I'm going to keep saying it until it's true). The system, although definitely closer, has gone south again and animating the sat doesn't exactly show the thing moving westward or forming in a specific pattern, so who knows from what direction or exactly when we'll get it, but I think this baby is going to finally cross over. At 2am (per the NHC) the system was a couple hundred miles away from the Leewards. I'd like to ASSume a 15mph forward movement which would put this thing across the islands early this afternoon, but without actually seeing any forward momentum at the moment can't do squat with any assurance. Whatever. I'm ready whenever and wherever she decides to do her thing - the sooner the better. I'd like to think that TS Philippe is far enough away to allow the air circulation to come back to the islands once post-Ophelia passes. And she will pass - she must!!!! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Suffocating...

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2011 10:51:16 +0000

No....air..... Is it time for the Christmas winds yet??? Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- What is Ophelia doing?

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sun, 25 Sep 2011 12:10:29 +0000

Still awake at midnight, I did a quick check of Ophelia and thought, hmm, she's looking a bit more south than before, but doesn't look too scary. This morning, she's even less scary but even more south! She doesn't seemed to have moved west much either, so seems to just be locked in place but slipping. NHC talks about it moving west and going more northerly today, but I'll believe it when I see it. Meanwhile, we get another nice day I think. Time to get ready to head to the beach! Thanks to Anguilla's correspondent for posting some pics of St. Kitts from the 1960's. The island has certainly changed in the countryside, but the Peninsula hasn't changed much! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Where'd she go?

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sat, 24 Sep 2011 15:13:46 +0000

So this morning we were still looking at a disorganized mess still quite some distance away, but a look at it at 11am, has Orphelia tightening up a bit and definitely going north of everyone. Of course, between now and whenever the system actually clears us all, it could elongate again, but hopefully we dodged it instead. We had a fantastic run up the Brimstone Hill Fortress road early this morning and even won some prizes! Once at the top, we had a great breeze and intermittent clouds which was much appreciated. I think a dip in the pool may be in order as I try to keep my poor calves from cramping up. Tomorrow, assuming the sea stays flat, we'll watch kayakers try not to embarrass themselves in a race from St. Kitts to Nevis and back. It's a good thing we have the work weeks in-between as we need the time to recover! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- Seeing the Air Again

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Fri, 23 Sep 2011 12:27:03 +0000

Yesterday turned out to be a rather windy day. It felt good but it wasn't enough to blow out the soupy air or get rid of the mosquitoes. The sun turned white for the sunset and then came up the same color. This morning doesn't seem to be quite as gusty, but the thick air is still around. It looks like Orphelia is quite the mess. A lot of people like Storm Pulse for tropical system maps, but personally I like the interactive map from Weather Underground better. You can click on a lot of things on the legend and even get little dots that tell you where thunderstorms are occurring. Everyone's saying the storm will go north, but with such a sloppy system, I think it's hard to predict whether we'll see any rain from it at some point. All events planned for the weekend are still on, so it should be a fun one. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- Buggy!

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2011 11:02:30 +0000

Yesterday the yellow-circled blotch that was to our east entered "the zone" and pretty much dissipated before it got here. It was nice to see, since we knew that it would do the same to Orphelia eventually. Now it looks like she'll go north of everyone, but of course if she slows down and elongates like the last couple of storms, we'll still get some weather from her at some point. Like all the systems this season, we won't really know until it happens. What I do know is that it has gotten incredibly buggy. The mosquitoes started outright swarming on Tuesday - all day and night - causing everyone to run for cover and douse themselves in whatever remedies they could find. The no-see-ums are also out in full force. I open the door to our upstairs patio and get bit while inside!! Humidity is up too, resulting in some mini-rain showers out and about today, so I'm guessing the bug situation is not going to improve any time soon. I'm going to try the vanilla/water concoction and see if that helps. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Some Action

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2011 09:37:29 +0000

I was right about the splotches on either side of us. We didn't get any rain from the one that affected Puerto Rico, but we did get some wispy cloud cover that gave us a great pink sunset. We enjoyed some wind too, but it didn't last the whole night. This morning, the red thing just to our east has gotten bigger (and closer) and even warranted a mellow yellow circle from the NHC. I can see some rain coming on the radar (probably a few hours away though) so will get my run in before it gets wet. It's possible the rain will stay east and then pass north of us like so many times before, but I'm not counting on it.

Current predictions seem to have TS Orphelia going north of us (just under 100 miles north of Basseterre and at its closest point early Sunday a.m.), but I think it's way too early to make that determination. This thing will hit that area of turbulence that's been affecting storms all summer and then anything goes. No matter what, it doesn't seem like the system will be all that powerful, so whatever it does will most likely simply ruin someone's weekend events. Hopefully not ours. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Drying Out?

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2011 12:58:01 +0000

Yesterday started out a bit iffy, but ended up being nice enough to head to the pool. That's the Royal Navy's Wave Runner in the distance in the attached picture. We could even see the tippy top of Nevis for the first time in days. Should be nice today, overall, as well. The radar looks pretty clear, but the weather forecast says we have unstable conditions, so I guess that'll explain the partly sunny skies so far. I'd like to think we'll have dry weather until what'll likely be tropical system Ophelia ruins our weekend, but I'm a little curious about the blob reaching out to us from Puerto Rico and what used to be Invest 99 just about due east of here. The splotches might mind their own business (or affect other islands), but are still worth factoring in for now. We had plans for a race up to Brimstone Hill Fortress (Saturday) and a kayak race for charity on Sunday, so a visit by a tropical storm is rather disappointing, but it ain't here til it's here. Right? Until then, Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- Interesting weather

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Mon, 19 Sep 2011 10:07:25 +0000

Yesterday was a lot like the day before. Interesting cloud formations all over, heavy rain showers hitting or missing depending on where you were on the island, and strange Tron-like cloud-to-cloud lightning for our sun-down pleasure. The temperature was awesome - rather fall-like even. It's looking rather ugly this morning with dark clouds out and about, but this isn't really backed up by the radar (although there is some moisture here and there), so it should pass. Although Accuweather and Weather Underground indicate a dreary day, a more local weather forecast calls for a decent one and I'm inclined to believe the latter. Showers seem likely later in the afternoon though, so maybe we'll get our evening light show again. You know what isn't fall-like? Having another Invest to our east. These all seem timed to keep ruining our weekends, but it's really too early to worry about it. We plan to enjoy the Federation's Independence Day today. Happy Monday to the rest of you. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- A Day Late

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sat, 17 Sep 2011 23:58:21 +0000

The rain we were expecting last night came today at exactly 4pm when we were starting our hash (hike). It poured for about 45 minutes with some lightning and low-level thunder around and then just gave us cool clouds and silent lightning after that. We had a good hike anyway, but we sure were cold afterwards! It's been a while since I wanted a hot shower, and boy did it feel good. Friends in Grenada got hit with some unexpectedly high winds (over 60!) a couple of days ago and whatever that fluky system was seems to be moving north (the Dominica correspondent mentioned getting a "mini-hurricane" too). I'm not sure if that's in store for us, but it seems like rain with gusty winds will be staying around at least through tomorrow. Boo. Hope it clears by Monday (Independence Day) so we can get one beach day in for the long weekend. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Heroes Day in St. Kitts

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Fri, 16 Sep 2011 13:54:24 +0000

We've had a great couple of days and today is looking rather nice as well. Humidity has been down slightly since Maria finally departed, but it seems we can expect some showers, maybe thunderstorms, later today though. Today's a national holiday, and among other activities, there will be a big block party downtown tonight to celebrate the original Federation heroes (mostly political/Labour icons). We'll also be congratulating some of the newer role models like athletes on Team St.Kitts-Nevis (for winning the bronze medal 4 x 100m relay at the IAAF World Championships in Daegue, Korea) and Kim Collins, who's been running and winning for years (he's in his mid-30s and still going strong). Wahoo! Monday is another holiday (Independence Day), so hopefully it'll be a nice one weather-wise. The beaches are going to be packed! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Good Riddance

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2011 11:01:38 +0000

Blue Skies. Finally. I can hear washing machines island-wide running now (including ours). Most people don't have dryers so need sun (for you non-islanders). We have a dryer, we just can't afford to run the thing. I feel the serotonin levels in my brain rising already. I love the sun. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Storm Clouds

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2011 23:11:06 +0000

I just had to share these. This was our sunset. Lots of fireworks and boom boom action once again. This storm sure had a lot of stamina! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- Oy!

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2011 21:33:14 +0000

5:30pm. Lightning...Thunder...Storm moving back down, elongating.... At least the water problem turned out to be a busted pipe (when a large-ish boulder fell on the pipe). We couldn't see the flowing water through the rain deluge. I'd feel badly about the wasted water, but I'm pretty sure it's been replenished at the water source 10-fold. With more to come... Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Sigh

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2011 19:25:02 +0000

And it's still raining....Still no water either. Got the buckets out again! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- The Never-Ending Stormy

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:06:28 +0000

What a night we had. That lightning and thunder lasted all night long at the same intensity all the way until about 4am. It out-right poured the entire time too. It wasn't particularly windy (at least not on our side), but the amount of water that came down was amazing. For almost 8 hours. My husband, incredibly, slept through the entire thing, but after realizing we still didn't have water, I started putting buckets outside to catch some of the deluge. In 1/2 hour, I had 2 toilet tanks filled, flushed, and refilled + the utility sink and the bathroom sink. I even have a final bucket filled and waiting for a morning sponge bath. Skies are grey and there is a light drizzle. There is still some grumbling too. The weather forecast is for 90% thunderstorms today. Sigh. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- More and More and More

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2011 03:40:03 +0000

I went to bed listening to the sea, not so close to us, pounding the cliffs and enjoying the breeze only to be rudely disturbed by stagnant air (must turn on ceiling fan), lightning, thunder, and rain. Wow, this is turning out to be like Hurricane Noel in 2007. We were still cruising on our sailboat and were hunkered down in Culebra, Puerto Rico (Spanish Virgin Islands) for that one. Storm cells just kept regenerating and regenerating and regenerating. We didn't see the entrance to the Ensenada Honda Harbor for 4 days. We got so slap happy being trapped on the boat. Everything was molding...When it was over, everything went dead calm and at about 7am, a nearby boater broke out his bagpipes and played a tune that carried eerily across the harbor. Thankfully, that's not our current situation - particularly with constant lightning (no 60' aluminum mast to worry about). It's like a 2-year old has become enamored with the light switch. Because there are so many flashes, there's a constant grumble of thunder, some grumbles more like bowling strikes (why I'm awake and corresponding at almost midnight). The rain has moved onshore now as well. A look at the radar looks exactly as it has all day. Two cells on either side of us, undulating out and in. Sometimes engulfing us; sometimes not. We lost power for a little over an hour for no apparent reason about 1pm and haven't had water since early afternoon. A friend about 4 blocks from us has water, so we're not sure what that's about. It's raining harder now and the thunder is becoming more insistent, so I'm guessing we'll lose power soon. I need to find my flashlight. More news in the a.m. Renee (www.islandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- AAGH!

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2011 20:59:07 +0000

We actually have clearing skies on one side of the house and big puffy clouds off-shore that are putting out serious grumbling noises. The radar has looked the same for hours. The storm sort of reversed around 1:30pm, whacking us with us the same crap that had just passed us, and now now the southern seas are even more worked up than before. Waves are coming in really, really fast. Some of the beach bars are starting to feel it a bit. Maria - enough already! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- Move on Already!!

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2011 18:20:57 +0000

This has become the slowest system ever. The radar looks like it'll clear anytime, but the satellite shows a rather wide, thick cloud swath still out there. Looking outside makes it look like clouds are becoming a permanent condition. No complaints about the cooling winds (in the 20mph ranges). Seas are pretty placid on the southeast side of the island (definitely on the ocean). I've attached a picture of The Narrows between St. Kitts & Nevis - that's Nevis on the distance. The farther you went along the Caribbean Sea coast though, heading west, the seas got rougher and rougher. There's another picture of what they look like outside of the capital. We didn't go past there, but I'm sure things were pretty crazy further up the coast - toward the Brimstone Fort and even in the cut between St. Kitts & Saba. No beach time, but the Philly Eagles are on (luckily the current came back after an 1 1/2 hour outage) so is the perfect tv day. Is that thunder?? Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- Finally!

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2011 12:20:49 +0000

Sheesh, it took her long enough. It is officially pouring. This downpour might actually last a while. No lightning or thunder though - I guess that went with the northern half. Good thing football's on. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- The Final Act?

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2011 09:57:06 +0000

Last night was quiet and no rain. Winds started picking up early this morning and it's 5:45am now and conditions are partly cloudy and gusty. The winds have shifted to the SSW (a rare treat), which is why we're feeling them in our cocoon. Aaaaaah, wonderful. The southern beach bars should be happy they're still packed up a bit. A look at the radar shows our vortex holding and the remaining rain from this storm is still passing east and/or south of us. Guadeloupe, the island below us, looks like it's getting wet though. The seas look pretty rough from where I sit (and are also being pushed in from the south), so hopefully no one took the lines off their boats thinking it was a complete nonevent. The seas just took a while to catch up, that's all. Maria looks like she's getting more organized again, winds are picking up inside the storm, but she's north of everyone now (almost all of her) so hopefully she'll stay out to sea. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- Night Visitor?

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sat, 10 Sep 2011 23:00:48 +0000

Well, we had a great day with just a few sprinkles here and there but mostly sun, a great sunset, and an almost full moon up in the sky. We're back where were before all the excitement - no wind and flat seas. I suppose we can still get something overnight, but we get night rains normally anyway. Clouds tomorrow? Won't know til we look outside! Glad this wasn't a big deal, but it still cost the island $ - businesses closed, flights were cancelled, etc. Better safe than sorry? I can NOT believe there's already a yellow circle behind TS Maria. Oy!! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- False Alarm?

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sat, 10 Sep 2011 17:56:54 +0000

We were out getting some French fries and drove back to see some serious dark clouds coming at us from the southwest (see attached). Oddly, the winds are coming from that direction at the moment. I thought - finally!!! Got home, checked the radar only to see absolutely nothing near us. Poofy clouds are out and about around the island and low, heavy white clouds are draped over the mountains, but it's a local phenomenon and not really from the heart of TS Maria. I think we're still hours out on this thing. Guess we'll continue getting on with our day then. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- Ho Hum

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sat, 10 Sep 2011 13:33:19 +0000

I did a little reconnaissance during my walk this morning. The sea and ocean are still very calm. Winds are gusty - quiet one minute and then about 15-25 knots the next. The radar is showing the moisture off to the east, but it's still some distance away. I can't say I'm too impressed with Maria this morning, but am willing to wait and see what we get before passing judgement. Obviously we hope it's a dud, but you still hate to think you did all that work (removing floating docks, taking down awnings, moving furniture, canceling events, etc.) for nothing....And then you watch the flooding in the States and go - never mind! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- The Sound of Music

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sat, 10 Sep 2011 10:34:06 +0000

TS Maria is definitely living up to that song How do You Solve Problem Like Maria from the Sound of Music. We got maybe a full hour of rain from this storm so far - from last night to now. The sun is out right now and I'm about to go for a run. Winds were at their highest (probably about 30 knots) about 6/6:30 but died by 8pm. During that time, rain came down sideways for about 10 minutes. Another 10-minute downpour at about 12:30am sums it up. I was surprised to see the storm completely elongated and poised to hit every single Eastern Caribbean island and maybe even Venezuela this morning. ??!!!! So we wait. TS Maria supposedly still has 45mph winds, we're still expecting 4-8" of rain, and waves are described as "dangerous." They system has slowed to 13mph, so isn't expected to get here until this afternoon. Guess, we'll just see what happens. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- First shower

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2011 19:29:47 +0000

We had a really nice day today. I'm not too pleased to see TS Maria slowing down, about 14mph now down from 18 this morning and 22 yesterday, but hopefully she'll keep moving. We are getting a shower right now, but it should pass pretty quickly. The forward-leading rain-bands have a couple of hours to go before reaching us, I think. I've been posting a more detailed rendition of NOAA (& other) updates on my blog so if you want more info as I see it (I'm not a weather person, but I can merge info from various sources into a conversation about it), you can go there (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com). The next NOAA update is at 5, but I'll be at happy hour then, so will probably post one more time when the 8pm update is out (assuming we have power - with or without a storm, you never know). The worst of the storm is pretty far south, so depending on what happens with TS Maria's speed we'll see who drew the unlucky card on this one. At this rate, it should be nearest St. Kitts in about 20 hours (between 8 and 10am maybe).

- Here she comes

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2011 11:21:05 +0000

I know something ugly this way comes, but we had fantastic breezes last night and have a beautiful morning this morning. The radar shows the southern islands (St. Lucia, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, etc.) getting some rain already, but it looks like the worst of TS Maria is going to hit Dominica or Guadeloupe later today. The storm's so big, we're all going to get something from it though. Ms. Maria is still moving pretty fast (18mph), so let's hope she keeps it up. We should be seeing some rain by this afternoon, although the gusty winds (45mph and up) and downpours aren't supposed to happen until it barely passes south of us Saturday (late morning/early afternoon). The southern beaches have all lost sand this year, so hopefully this storm brings sand in and doesn't remove anymore. Businesses better be checking for loose spots on their roofs and bringing furniture in. The Carnival Victory cruise ship came in as expected, so that's reassuring. It was forced to leave some passengers behind during Hurricane Irene though (in Puerto Rico), so those folks might want to keep tabs on their ship today. Well, I'm going to enjoy the nice day while we have it and start pulling a few things inside. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- Pre-Soaking

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Thu, 8 Sep 2011 11:09:21 +0000

We've had short, but heavy downpours through the early am hours, but the skies should clear for the remainder of the day. Next up, TS Maria. Whatever she's packing when she gets in our neighborhood should be tempered by her speed. She's like Irene at the moment, moving an impressive 23mph. Maria will be tracking closer to us than Irene did so we might get higher winds this time, but again, it's the monotonous hours of crappy conditions that will eventually start causing damage. If she just comes and goes, we should do ok. Looks like our weekend will be a wash-out though, so various event organizers are already postponing various activities. We've got a couple more days of watching what Maria will do, so let the waiting game begin. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Sneaky, Sneaky!

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Tue, 6 Sep 2011 20:18:22 +0000

Remember how I was worried about a swirly behind Katia that was there and then wasn't? I wasn't convinced it was gone and there it is on the radar again after stealthily slipping into invisible mode for a couple of days. It's even got a pretty yellow circle around it, courtesy of the NHC. The swirly bits are gone (at the moment) and it's too close to become too violent before crossing the islands, but a few of us are going to get a bit of rain I think. There really has been a strange weather pattern to the east of us all summer. It's done a great job of protecting us so far (even islands south of here that have received a lot of rain to date have to breathe a sigh of relief that they didn't get battered by what those storms later became) and I really hope that whatever's going on there hangs in for a couple more months. I think we'll know soon enough as Invest 95L (the dreaded red circle) develops and gets closer. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- FW: HOT!

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Mon, 5 Sep 2011 13:14:41 +0000

Rumor has it that the northwest side of the island has a breeze, but I'm not sure I believe it. It is really hot. The sea side of the island is flat calm, the ocean side is deceptively so. As soon as you get on an ocean-side beach you're surprised by the swell there. And the seaweed. Yuck! Good body surfing if you're careful though. We're thankful these hurricanes continue to go north of us, but is it out of the question to ask for a slight breeze? Preparing for another scorcher this week. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- She's turning

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Fri, 2 Sep 2011 12:13:57 +0000

It was nice to wake up this morning and see an obvious northerly component to Hurricane Katia. The storm is about even with us now and she's tightened a bit too, so maybe she'll take all her associated moisture with her as she gets closer. There is an advisement that the Northern Leewards might experience some swell tonight (and the storm's 750 mi away this morning!), but I'm never sure if we're included in that (I know Antigua, St. Martin and islands to the west are). The swirly that had been behind Katia has kind of disintegrated, but I'm not convinced it's really gone yet. Meanwhile, it looks like the Gulf in the U.S. is in for some serious flooding. It's not easy getting a stalled economy back on track if people keep ending up homeless and jobless because their houses and workplaces are floating down the street. Sigh. Let's see if they learned anything from Katrina. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Great Day

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2011 17:58:19 +0000

We woke up to some moisture in the early am and lots of rainbows. Now we've got great breezes. It's been awhile, so it truly feels great. The rain had smart people avoiding the main road to the peninsula again (I skipped it running too) and taking the bypass, but hopefully the sun and wind dries it out again. Meanwhile, we eye Katia. I love that name, so I hope this hurricane doesn't do anything nasty. It's hard to believe we're not even 1/2 way through hurricane season yet. I guess we'll wait and see if Katia starts sucking the air from the atmosphere later this week and later throwing it back at us or someone else at high velocity by Sunday or Monday. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- Sunny

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Mon, 29 Aug 2011 18:13:15 +0000

We had a pretty good weekend weatherwise. We did have a line of clouds come through on Saturday that looked a lot like a cold front was coming or something. Every once in a while, a little funnel would drift down from the cloud but would quietly go back up before it looked too sinister. The rain stayed out to sea and the sun won out, so no complaints. Sunday was gorgeous. While my family had a rough a few hours as Hurricane Irene passed over them, they enjoyed a pretty good Sunday too. My folks from VA to PA to NJ to RI all did pretty well, but the flooding in Vermont has come a block away from my Uncle's ski house. Everyone was impacted so differently (from winds, to rain, to flooding) that it's hard to believe there wasn't more damage really. I was glad to see my hometown of NYC come out relatively unscathed too. I'm even more happy to see Irene gone; now if those rivers would just catch up with the program.

Things are looking nice so far this week. Something nasty is spinning our way, but models so far have it going north of us in about a week. From what I've read it's going to look like it's gunning for us and then turn north. Is that really necessary? Well, as long is it turns away eventually. It just might be Canada's turn on that one, but maybe it'll simply spin out to sea and leave everyone alone. Does this hurricane season seem inordinately long this year or is it just me? Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- Sneaky Blob

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sat, 27 Aug 2011 12:30:47 +0000

Since I've gotten up this morning, I've had my eye on a blob to our southwest (attached). It seems to be sneaking north and even sending out a couple of tendrils in our direction. Rather strange getting something from that direction, but yet there it is.

I was happy to read Weather Underground's Jeff Masters report last night as Hurricane Irene started to fall apart a bit and weaken. I really don't think the winds are going to be the problem with this one. It's all about the flooding/surge. Ask the folks in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic after Irene sat on top of them for days and just kept dumping on them. Water is an incredibly destructive force, there's just no getting away from it when it wants to come in. I can not tell you how much time we spent when we were living aboard our catamaran trying to stop leaks - both from freshwater (rain + windows) and saltwater (ocean + thru-hull leaks).

Now that I'm seeing how annoying it is watching every reporter from channel to channel do the same kind of coverage (standing in high waves as they brace themselves from the wind), I'll have to think of another way of reporting any crappy weather we get here in the future. Not that we want any crappy weather, thank you. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- Swelly

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Fri, 26 Aug 2011 17:34:39 +0000

As we continue to be grateful we didn't have to contend with Irene in its nastiest form, we have been having southerly swells and very humid weather. The bugs have been out in serious force too. Health Magazine recommended a vanilla and water mixture to keep them away, but i keep forgetting to try it. I hear Listerine works too, but I don't think I want my entire body to smell like that. Good luck to my friends and relatives all along the Eastern coast. May your feet stay dry and your roof stay on. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- Rock Slide

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:26:12 +0000

It seems one of our cliffs got saturated enough to finally let loose a day after TS Irene's passing. This occurred on Timothy Hill, the cut between Frigate Bay and the Southeast Peninsula. There is a steep, bypass road people can take, but it's dirt/gravel and too steep for most cars (and larger vehicles, like tanker trucks). An old road was cleared for those vehicles, but is also dirt and will just turn to mush during the next rain, so isn't a long-term solution unless they plan to shore it up somehow. Many cars are taking their chances on the main road and just hoping nothing falls while they happen to be there. Of course, this is what we were all doing before too, so it's just another day on the island basically. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- Irene Tendrils

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2011 10:17:01 +0000

We had a beautiful day yesterday, but had quite a few showers this early am. It actually looks like Hurricane Irene's tendrils have expanded back to tap us again. I feel guilty watching this storm head for some of our favorite islands. Lucky...and guilty. The storm keeps making unexpected moves, so maybe it'll cut these guys a break too, but I have a feeling we're going to be looking at some sad videos of destruction soon. I hate hurricane season...Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Is She Gone Yet?

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2011 19:21:12 +0000

After another power outage, exactly an hour long again, we decided to run outside and take a look. There is some flooding, a few broken branches, and a couple of newly planted palm trees down, but at least the Frigate Bay/SouthEast Peninsula came through relatively unscathed. We haven't heard anything about how the countryside did, but water was flowing down in rivulets down cliffs and river-like down the roadsides, so I'm sure all the ghauts were in full flow. Winds were a bit high at The Strip (30-35 knots), oddly enough, but the rest of the beaches, whether ocean or sea side, weren't too bad (probably 20 knots or less). Waves on the ocean side from N Friars Bay and west (like Keys Beach) were very high - from 10' and up. It hasn't rained in about 2 hours now, but there will probably be a bit more before the day is done. We took a tour of a portion of the island, so if you want more info (and pics) you can go to my blog and get the details. Looks like we dodged another one. Yes! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- Rainy Morning

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2011 11:45:17 +0000

Morning everyone,

It's been raining since about 5:30 this morning and it is windy with higher gusts here and there. We're pretty protected where we live, so it's hard to tell, but NHC has predicted winds likely for us around 34 knots and I can see that. From the time I started my blog and finished it, the radar showed the worst of TS Irene already going northeast of us. I'm not sure what getting the southern part of the storm is going to do here, but time will tell. I was glad to see Dominica cut a break on this one.

I couldn't sleep for some reason so think these cloudy, wet skies are a good reason to go back to bed! We'll drive around later and see what's going on out there and update. Renee (www.Islandbabble.Blogspot.com)

- The Calm?

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2011 03:51:36 +0000

A quick update. From about 5:30 to 6:30, we had about an hour of rain, then about 1/2 hour of lightning with surprisingly distant thunder, and an hour without power. That's it. The air, while cooler, has also gone stagnant, so when we lost power it was rather miserable without the ceiling fans and too buggy to open doors. I woke up around 11:30pm and wondered if we had escaped the weather once more only to see that not only was the storm just plain not here yet, but was now named TS Irene. Well, alrighty then. The radar indicated that Guadeloupe (island shaped like a butterfly to the west of the green mess per attached) and maybe northern Dominica to its south would get the brunt of it, but the satellite picture certainly makes it look like we're in the way eventually too. There is a Tropical Storm Warning in effect for:

PUERTO RICO...U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS...VIEQUES AND CULEBRA
* SABA...ST. EUSTATIUS...AND ST. MAARTIN
* DOMINICA
* BARBUDA...ST. KITTS...NEVIS...ANTIGUA...ANGUILLA...MONTSERRAT
* BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
and HURRICANE CONDITIONS COULD OCCUR IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC LATE ON
MONDAY.

Estimates are for 4-8" of rain. With winds in St. Kitts possibly in the 50knot range, I think it might be time to tie down some things we have outside and close some more windows. Nighty Night. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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- And it's here

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sat, 20 Aug 2011 21:28:18 +0000

It took a while, but it's now raining (5:20pm). After looking at the latest Float satellite and other sources (got to StormCarib main page), I'm thinking this could be a loooooong night. The system is huge, but there are a lot of gaps in there, so it doesn't look like this section is going to be all that long lasting for us. It's hard to know what aspects of the system is still to come though. We're getting a bit of thunder grumbling, but nothing major. Good luck fellow islanders! Renee (www.IslandBabble.Blogspot.com)

- Update

By "ThE rEaLeSt ....... " <biggstar4u at hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 20 Aug 2011 20:05:41 +0000

Sunny all day till about exactly 4 pm...its raining now, ill expect that for 
the rest of the day
Sent from my BlackBerry® device from Digicel

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- Gone and Back Again

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sat, 20 Aug 2011 10:27:50 +0000

Last night at around 10:30pm, I took a look at the sat pics and wondered what the heck had happened to Invest97L. It had pretty much just disintegrated. There's just something about that one area off to our east that still has the power to tear these storms apart. Of course, like all the others before, I figured I'd wake up in the morning and see the blob re-formed and ever closer. True enough. It doesn't look any worse than the other storms we've had lately and isn't named yet either, but I'm guessing it'll get uglier as it marches on. The difference might be that St. Kitts gets more rain with this one. We're also a bit more water-logged going into it (I know Nevis is), so flooding could become an issue. I still think the brunt of the storm is going to go south of us, but I think we'll see more action this time around. We'll probably get rougher seas pounding the south-side beaches too, which hopefully brings back the sand that disappeared about two storms ago vs. taking more away. The radar shows a band of moisture ahead of the main show, so we'll have to enjoy any sunny skies we get. Renee www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com

- Our turn?

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Fri, 19 Aug 2011 12:53:48 +0000

Hey, what's with the dreary day today??! "Instability" was forecasted but I was hoping they were wrong. Nope. I got a bit wet on my jog this morning.

It seems it might be our turn for nasty weather this weekend. The islands are rather saturated at the moment so I think any serious rains associated with 97L (I refuse to think about 98L yet) will cause some flooding this time around. The models have whatever's coming our way passing pretty close to us (south, north or right over) so we'll hope for and enjoy sunny skies tomorrow and brace ourselves for gusty winds and rain Saturday night into Sunday. Renee (www.islandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Update

By "ThE rEaLeSt ....... " <biggstar4u at hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2011 09:11:30 +0000

Today

 showers
High 87F
Chance of rain 50%
Wind E at 15 mph

Showers early becoming less numerous for the afternoon.

Your weather
Sent from my BlackBerry® device from Digicel

- Back to Sun

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Wed, 17 Aug 2011 17:03:10 +0000

We really had some lightning and booming thunder for a bit there this morning, but the sun came out about an hour ago and looks like it's here to stay (for now). What happened to the big splooch that was about to ram everyone to the south again? It just went poof! Strange, strange weather conditions around us. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Drip

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Wed, 17 Aug 2011 10:10:49 +0000

I was going to have my husband get a look at the rain gauge for me this morning at his work compound, but when he got home yesterday I was surprised to hear that they had only had one shower at about 11am yesterday and the rest were just clouds. In Frigate Bay, we had pretty heavy downpours about every 1/2 hour for about 10 minutes until an 1 1/2 hour deluge from about 2:30 to 4. I'm not sure how the more mountainous part of the island fared. It finally stopped raining for the most part and once again didn't get a whole lot overnight. We've had a pattern this summer having one strong heavy rain every early am (about 4:30/5am) for about 5 minutes. I always think my run is going to be a washout, but after that one quickie, it's done. This morning was no different. It's cloudy out there and the radar show pockets of moisture around, so I'm debating how wet I'll get out there this morning. Think I'll pick the hills nearby and stay close to home. It's just water, but it's cold water and when it comes down as hard as it's been, it hurts! I can't believe there's another section heading for the islands. Got the sun on one side of us and dark skies on the other. Think I'll wait a bit. We realize how lucky we are pretty much just getting clipped by the northern sections of these latest cells. Nothing all summer and now this. Now I know where that term "When it rains, it pours" comes from. Be safe everyone, Renee www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com

- And it's our turn

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:47:24 +0000

We have officially been engulfed. The grumbles are actually growls and claps now and it's a steady, steady downpour. After a look at the radar, I'd say we'd better get used to it for a while. Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Rain & Sun, Sun & Rain

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2011 12:39:57 +0000

Today looks a lot like yesterday afternoon. Some grumbling, some downpours, some sun, a little more wind. We had surprisingly little rain last night, but the respite is over. I'm enjoying the breeze though. Speaking of breeze, is anyone else worried about the latest tropical wave heading our way? I haven't been too concerned about much so far, but I think something might develop out of this one. Let's hope it passes us all first. Not a bad day to have to work inside, so guess I'll get to it. Renee (www.islandbabble.blogspot.com)

- What a difference a day makes

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Mon, 15 Aug 2011 21:45:29 +0000

Looks like our neighbors to the south got soaked again. We did finally get a downpour early this afternoon, but other than that have just had some grumbling and cloudy skies. The radar has a green blurp coming across us now, so I guess I'll close a few windows. That's really a shame, because with this latest passage of clouds, the air got surprisingly cold! Fall is upon us!! I wish! If we got through the hurricane season with just these squalls, I'd take it. Renee www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com

- Gorgeous Weekend

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sun, 14 Aug 2011 21:02:04 +0000

Wow, what a great weekend. We did have a passing shower or two, but otherwise enjoyed relatively calm seas, a slight breeze, and sunny skies. The beaches have gotten a little buggy, but if you stay in the water, no worries. Speaking of warm water, we thought the ocean was a tad balmy yesterday, but it was actually warmer today. Uh oh. Felt good though for wimps like me. Attached is a picture of a very happy beach goer. Renee www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com

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- Clear Skies

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2011 12:06:45 +0000

The air is still a bit sticky, but we've been enjoying pretty clear skies for the past couple of days. We did have some rain yesterday morning, but it didn't last long enough to complain about. The write-up on Crown Weather makes me wonder if we'll get some weather on Sunday (noooooo!!! Not again - that's our only beach day - stop it!), but hopefully that Invest (92) will go far enough northeast and pull the moisture with it. Then we can worry about Invest 93L. Even if the same conditions prevail and this system gets beat up like the others, it's still likely to bring rain by mid-week next week. If you're visiting here next week, you might want to make sure you have a few good books! Renee www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com

- Clouds

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2011 21:33:54 +0000

Well, you'd think by looking at the attached pictures that it's been pouring all day, but incredibly the rain has been really spotty. Apparently Nevis is soaked and ready to see some sun, but we've just had a bunch of nasty looking clouds (the occasional grumble) and some intermittent rains in-between. You know, just the kind of weather to ruin a picnic or beach day. Well, with clouds or without, it's still pretty! Renee www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com

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- Never Mind

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sat, 6 Aug 2011 23:14:21 +0000

Well, it sure looked like we were going to get it all day. We hiked about mid-way on the island and there was a big thick cloud cloaking the mountain, but we trekked rain-free. The sun was really hot, but a great wind helped. Once the sun set, it was really nice out. Interesting clouds across the sky for a nice evening sky too. Great day. Renee www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com

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- The Rain Cometh

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sat, 6 Aug 2011 16:14:13 +0000

Well, it looks like the day just might go into the crapper. We have a hike with the Hash House Harriers today at 4, so I think this might be a muddy one. Considering we do this every 3 weeks, today might be only the 2nd time in over 2 years we get rained on. Not bad! The sun is still out, but there are some dark cells slinking across the Sea. There's definitely moisture out there, so we'll see which part of the island gets it. Bet those south of us are really glad to see more raining coming (apply sarcasm). Well, with the recent humidity addition to our days, I have to say I'm appreciating the breeze. Whatever this storm system is, let's hope it passes everyone quickly. Renee www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com

- Here Comes the Sun Again

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2011 18:13:19 +0000

Well, my shoes were laced up for quite a while, but just before noon, the blue started breaking through and before the last drops hit the ground I was out and running. It's pretty humid out there, so the system's not fully past yet, but I'll take it. The radar's still showing some cells here and there, but hopefully things are drying out. A very anxious bride & groom getting married at The Beach House are pretty hopeful too. Renee www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com

- Ok, Emily's Gone - The Sun Can Come Out Now

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2011 10:37:28 +0000

Well, after a morning that allowed just enough dry air to let us finish drying our laundry, yesterday (Monday) about 11:30am, it started raining and then pretty much kept raining. Culturama holiday activities had to be postponed - boo. We discovered that there is absolutely nothing on t.v. during the day and got a bit slap happy. There's not a lot to do on an island when it's raining! I got 1/2 way through the book The Bone Collector, and Michael watched a bunch of really dumb movies on the tube. We had a rather dry night, but I am dressed for my morning run and waiting for the rain to stop. Looks like it's going to be off and on again at least for the a.m. Creatures of the sun, we are very ready for it to return. The temps have been cool though, we even had to turn the ceiling fan off last night after we got cold! I'm going to start lacing up my sneakers and see if Mother Nature takes the hint. Renee www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com

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- Sweatshirt Weather

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Tue, 2 Aug 2011 10:43:40 +0000

Well, we haven't left our rather protected abode yet, but didn't get too badly walloped last night. Tropical Storm Emily elongated and clipped us a bit, but overall we did well. The winds got gusty around 8pm and rain started falling on and off after 9pm. The downpours weren't really as bad as we've had them each evening (about 10 minutes per night), but were more numerous. Hopefully there wasn't a lot of flooding. I doubt the wind gusts got out of the 30mph-range, although they are rather chilly. This morning is still grey with a few drops here and there with brisk winds. Dreary. Not a way to spend 2 holiday days, but better than getting clipped by a Hurricane Emily, so guess we'll take it. Good luck to all those to the west - let's hope Hispaniola knocks this thing out. I'd also like to see the storms on the next tropical wave go away. A girl can ask. Renee www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com

- Rain Sun, Rain Sun

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Mon, 1 Aug 2011 17:57:25 +0000

Well, it seems our shield is starting to falter. We've had days of radars/satellites showing us surrounded by green/red blobs and haven't gotten a drop of rain. Today, the radar/satellite is clear and it's been raining about every 20 minutes. We definitely have some instability out there. It's also pretty gusty on the ocean side of the island. Seas are pretty low though so far. Anyway, not exactly a beach day, boo. Looks like the Invest is still confounding everyone - last we looked it was all elongated. What is that storm doing?? Renee www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com

- Incredible.

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sun, 31 Jul 2011 21:32:30 +0000

So we hiked all day today ignoring what was to the east because it was really too early to tell anything. We hiked all morning, goofed around a bit and at 3pm checked the radar and thought - ooooh, here comes some rain. It was a no brainer. Blobs stretched from north to south and could be seen visually too. We took off again and watched the skies clear to blue. Got back home 2 hours later, checked radar and saw the rain completely gone from our area. It's truly crazy. That force-field around the island remains. We've had some mistings, but even in the rain forest where we were hiking - not a whole lot of moisture overall. Meanwhile we watch this storm head for Dominica and really feel for them. We'd share our shield if we could. We'll keep watching, as the invest hasn't really organized yet, but I can't say we're too worried this time around. Force - stay with us! Renee www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com

- The Force Is with Us

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:38:37 +0000

So we never really did get any rain. We did have about 1/2 hour with some amazing clouds. The attached picture was taken by someone at Reggae Beach Bar & Grill on Cockleshell Beach. Looks menacing huh? Nothing happened. That buffer between us and the storms held up. This morning it's been misting a little here and there, with bits and pieces of rainbow out and about. Looks like after a small dousing, things should be clearing up. Now I guess we start keeping a lazy eye on the latest Invest to the east. Renee www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com

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- Incredible

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2011 17:32:01 +0000

Once again, we've been surrounded by craziness on the radar and have barely gotten a sprinkle yet. Our vortex is holding. Seriously, check out the radar picture. You can tell which island we are near the top (we look like a drum stick) because we're as clear as can be. It's nuts, but we'll certainly take it. Renee www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com

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- Nada

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2011 08:45:42 +0000

Well, the force field held. We've had rain every night for at least a month, even if only a hard downpour for 5 minutes, and yet last night, zilch. Despite all that rain all around us, we got absolutely nothing - all day...all night. That's pretty amazing. It just goes to show, you can't predict Mother Nature. May The Force be with us for the rest of hurricane season. Renee www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com

- Pretty Day

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2011 22:12:45 +0000

At the risk of jinxing us again, I do see some clouds on the horizon and hear some grumbling, we had a really pretty day today. We watched the big red clouds on the satellite pictures come up the chain and basically go kapoot over Guadeloupe. Sometimes I wonder if St. Kitts has a force field around it protecting the island as we seem to avoid the worst of these Leeward Island events quite often. Not that I'm complaining. Should be interesting to see what we get overnight. Renee www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com

- Slowly, it Creeps

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2011 16:46:25 +0000

Well, we woke up this morning to a rather unnerving circular splotch to our east, but have realized that what's coming from the south is more likely to reach us first. It's looking a bit messy out on the various weather maps and it seems a lot of splotches are springing up out and about. I've been taking in the sun as much as possible as I do some computer work, knowing that we'll soon be getting a bit wet. I also put new batteries in a few flashlights, just in case. Not that we need storms to lose electricity.... Renee www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com

- Update

By "ThE rEaLeSt ....... " <biggstar4u at hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 26 Jul 2011 02:45:03 +0000

Very calm, kool night......nothing much to talk about

----------
Sent via Nokia Email

- Wahoo!

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sun, 24 Jul 2011 15:19:26 +0000

I'm doing a sun-is-out jig. Tippity tap, tippity tap!! Renee www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com

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- Ha - Jinxing is real!!

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sat, 23 Jul 2011 18:18:09 +0000

Before I even got my confirmation email on my last entry, it started pouring and the winds started gusting. And the power went out (again). Sorry about that! Guess I shouldn't have tempted fate. Renee www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com

- Spoke too soon

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sat, 23 Jul 2011 16:09:25 +0000

Although we haven't had hard downpours lasting more than a few minutes here and there, it's been looking really stormy out there. Pretty much like it did last night - see last post's pictures. The radar is making it look like more is happening than what really is as well. I'm not sure how the country-side is doing, they might be getting more rain than we are east of Basseterre, but considering how ugly it looks and how noisy it is with all the thunder, surprisingly little is happening. There. I jinxed us. Let's see what happens. Renee www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com

- Invest90L Fun

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sat, 23 Jul 2011 11:46:33 +0000

So did we get the worst of what Invest90L is supposed to bring us? I think so. We had interesting clouds with lightning off in the distance for our early evening pleasure and then during the night rain and overhead lightning/thunder. It seems like most of it this morning is north of us - split in 2 going west over Puerto Rico and east of us as well. That said, there is a bit more still to come to give us another intermittently wet day. I even just heard a grumble. It's coming...Renee www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com

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- The Curse of the Landscaper

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2011 18:05:47 +0000

Well, maybe it's not a curse of as much as it's a curs-ing landscaper. It keeps raining, about every hour and a half, at times really hard, sending the poor guy into the nearest alcove. I give him credit, I might have given up after the latest downpour and called it a day. We've got blue sky in the background and lots of wet stuff on top of us. Makes me glad I don't have to go anywhere (or do yard work). We did have a fantastic weekend, so can't complain. Well, unless you're trying to mow the lawn... Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- Todays weather

By "ThE rEaLeSt ....... " <biggstar4u at hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 16 Jul 2011 21:10:27 +0000

Nothing much but some clouds and sun with a cool breeze, 12mph... Very 
beautiful day
Sent from my BlackBerry® device from Digicel

- Hey - A double whammy

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2011 17:52:30 +0000

Well, it seems we're getting hit by the same rain that soaked us yesterday. This dreariness has been on a southeasterly flow. We had lot of lightning and thunder this morning, although it seems to be pounding Antigua right now and is staying to the east of us. I can't say I'm liking the mess coming off of Africa at the moment, but guess we'll deal with one thing at a time. Let's dry out a bit shall we? Renee www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com

- Grumble

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2011 20:13:45 +0000

So I guess the tropical wave is over us. We've had thunder and vertical lighting strikes for the past 1/2 hour, but now some rain is coming with it. We appreciate the ugly stuff hitting us on a non-cruise-ship day. Sure is getting dark out there, but love the cool breeze coming with it. Probably should get as much done now before the power goes out - that strike was close! Renee www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com

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- The heat is back

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Tue, 12 Jul 2011 12:00:11 +0000

Well, we lost our breeze, which was a bit of a drag when our power went out for an hour Sunday night. We sure do miss our ceiling fans when that happens. Supposedly the winds are blowing at 16 knots from the east, but we're not getting much where we live. Looks like we're going to get a bit swelly from the Caribbean Sea-side a couple of days this week too, so beach goers might want to seek out the ocean side beaches. It is sunny and we've had some great pink sunsets though. And no tropical storms - that's the best part! Renee www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com

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- Enough already

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sun, 3 Jul 2011 20:55:01 +0000

Well, so much for a sunny day. We did have a few rain-free hours in the morning, but the clouds moved in by 1:30 and the rest of the afternoon was pretty much rain and some occasional thunder. Hope tomorrow clears for the 4th of July festivities. Move on already you stubborn tropical wave!

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- Sun?

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Sun, 3 Jul 2011 13:00:23 +0000

Well, the grumbling on Friday turned into downright thundering and some of the booms shook the house. Yesterday was more rain, but it did so quietly. We've had a few rain showers this morning, but we've also seen some blue skies, so looks like we're going to get a mixed bag. At least it should be clear for fireworks Monday night - Happy July 4th to the Americans reading! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- It's raining; it's pouring

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Fri, 1 Jul 2011 16:25:20 +0000

Wow - it is really coming down out there! Every once in a while, we get a grumble too. It's raining so hard that it's bouncing off the roofs nearby. It's a bit windy out there, as well. I've had to break out my long pants again! I'm pretty sure we're going to see a bit of flooding today in some of the lower-lying roads (like Frigate Bay). Looking at the radar, I'd say just about all the islands from Martinique up and over to the Dominican Republic are getting doused. Hope everyone's got their umbrella's handy - or a good book. Renee www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com

- Tropical Wave passes at 2am

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Mon, 27 Jun 2011 14:16:11 +0000

We've actually had pretty good summer so far. We've enjoyed some winds to keep things from getting too stifling and rains that occur at night, leaving our days quite pleasant. Yesterday, the winds starting picking up, the waves got choppier, and by 2am we had lightning and thunder for about an hour. It's still a bit cloudy at there, with a much appreciated breeze, but most of the rain seems to be going to the southwest of us. We could use the rain, but since I have to walk everywhere, can't say I'm complaining. Renee www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com

- No power

By "ThE rEaLeSt ....... " <biggstar4u at hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 4 Jun 2011 03:21:07 +0000

Really hot night and no power....what a thing eh!!!! Other than that we are ok 
here in skb
Sent from my BlackBerry® device from Digicel

- Typical weather

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Fri, 20 May 2011 18:50:09 +0000

Well, let's see. We had a dreary, hot week last week and everyone from locals to expats were whining about it. Tourists weren't because they expected it to be hot, hmmm. Finally, last Friday, we got our first thunder storm of the season and the temps came down. Relief! The past week has been what you'd expect in the Caribbean: some showers, some sun, more rain in the evenings/mornings. We do have a breeze, so all in all, I'd say we're all pretty happy. Let's just hope all the predicted summer storms stay in the seas and leave all land masses alone. Looks like things will be drying out a bit, which sounds perfect for all those cricket fans (go W Indies!)
Renee (www.islandbabble.blogspot.com)

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- S-T-I-C-K-Y!

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Wed, 11 May 2011 19:28:35 +0000

OMG! Can we get a happy medium here? Just last week I was in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt and yesterday I think I sweated out half the water in my body. It is really humid. We even had some fluffy storm-type clouds out and about, but no rain. Not only could we use the rain for our poor plants, but to maybe (?) cool things down a bit. Maybe? Looks like our forecast does have some showers in our future. Of course, then we'll be complaining about the bugs that hatched afterwards! Ah, life in the islands...Renee
www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com

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- Wonderful warm night

By "ThE rEaLeSt ....... " <biggstar4u at hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 7 May 2011 01:48:54 +0000

Winds ne  at  9mph 
Relative humidity. 73%
Uv index.  Low

Feels like 78°F
Sent from my BlackBerry® device from Digicel

- Wind!

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2011 17:58:26 +0000

Well, we had one scorcher of a weekend. It was HOT! We had a triathlon on Saturday and participants really had their butts handed to them. Whewy! Swimming was certainly a snap, as there wasn't a ripple in the water. Sunday/Monday weren't much different, but after overnight rain, we've got refreshing breezes and fast-moving clouds. Relief! Water's white capping too. Quite a change, but we'll take it! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

- The 2011 Season Begins!

By R Petrillo M Puceta <mikenrenee at live.com>
Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2011 12:05:15 +0000

Hello again everyone. After a rather rainy December, St. Kitts had great winter, with the Christmas winds kicking in for months, nice low(er) humidity, and no mosquitoes. Yep, that's all gone now. You can see from the attached picture that the air has gone stagnant (it's almost foggy out there). Mosquitoes were out in full force last night. Any kids trying to fly kites today are going to have to run REALLY fast! :) I wasn't all too surprised to see a weather system nearby, as that would explain where our air went. Well, I'll try to keep you updated again this summer, or you can go to my blog and see what I'm saying about it all there. Fingers crossed for all storms to stay over water and leave all of us islanders (and coastal folks) alone! Renee (www.IslandBabble.blogspot.com)

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